Payable On Death
Hwee Hwee Tan
January 1, 2002
If your typical metal-head is an insecure, acne-ridden teen who worships Satan and all things dark and evil, how do you explain the success of P.O.D.? Christian artists like Michael W. Smith and Jars of Clay have had a certain amount of success in crossing over to the mainstream Billboard charts, but none has matched the phenomenal sales of Satellite, which recently went double platinum in the U.S.
P.O.D.'s core audience is made up of fans who have little interest in the fundamental values of Christianity, but they've eagerly embraced The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, despite the overt religious messages running through P.O.D.'s 1999 debut album. (P.O.D. stands for Payable on Death, a reminder of the reward that awaits the saints when they go past their expiration date.) So how does P.O.D. manage to get your typical headbanger to listen to songs about God?
"We never tell people that they have to believe in the same things we do," says Wuv, P.O.D.'s drummer. I caught up with P.O.D. when they were in Singapore to perform at the MTV Asia Awards 2002. "We meet people where they are. Like U2's song-'Where the Streets Have No Name'-it's a song that connects with all sorts of people. We're never ashamed of what we believe-we're always straight up-but people don't have to believe like us."
"Y'know, everyone is free to rock ass," says Marcos, P.O.D.'s guitarist, putting it a bit more plainly. "That's the message we're giving. We're not talking about religion, not some crutch. When we get on stage, we go crazy, we're like four guys you should put in a mental hospital."
And he's right. P.O.D. is attractive because they radiate energy and passion. That fiery enthusiasm is infectious, along with lyrics that have touched personal hot ...
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